Your View: Tax Super PAC ads and give us a break

The elections are over — but some issues related to the process should be addressed now so as to lessen or eliminate the flaw in future elections.

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By BRUCE HUTCHINS

southcoasttoday.com

By BRUCE HUTCHINS

Posted Nov. 15, 2012 at 12:01 AM

By BRUCE HUTCHINS
Posted Nov. 15, 2012 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

The elections are over — but some issues related to the process should be addressed now so as to lessen or eliminate the flaw in future elections.

Control has to be implemented to lessen the months of constant and continual political advertising. Starting with last spring's blossoming advertisements, the litter grew bigger and louder with each day — including election day. Many town governments have constraints on when campaign placards can be placed on lawns. National and statewide elections should also have constraints on political advertising. Advertisements advocating a candidate or party shouldn't be mailed, emailed, on radio/television or in magazines or newspapers until after Labor Day. This proposed law or ordinance (be it state or national) will not only rid us of continual advertising clutter — it will provide, during the pre-Labor Day time period, opportunities to meet/listen/read about the candidates. Candidates' "freedom of speech" before September would be limited to their writing of letters to editors, having interviews with media, meeting with potential constituents and/or by making public speeches.

The content of political advertising should be the responsibility of the candidates. Whereas I tired of hearing "this advertisement is approved by"¦." It meant (a) this was what the candidate believed and (b) if it contained false or misleading information, it was a direct reflection of the candidate's character.

I'd like to make it illegal for outside groups to fund trash ads, but realize that would be a limit to their freedom of speech. To rid politics of these powerful and rich outside groups that are often media bombing our minds with half-truths will take quite a bit of citizenry work — maybe even a constitutional amendment, given recent Supreme Court action.

It is doubtful that elected officials will legislatively restrict the financial mouths that feed them. An alternative solution, which would solve two problems, would be to charge a sales tax on any/every advertisement not endorsed, approved and/or under the control of a legitimate candidate's campaign fund. Taxing the billions spent on election advertising by PAC's and/or lobbying groups would bring millions in sales tax revenues to the state.

Taxing the recent election advertisements by the federal government would have significantly cut our national debt. The PAC's and lobbying groups can't complain too much — because most of their revenue/profits are the cause of our national debt. Taxing PACs and lobbyists is also a way to tax the rich, at no expense to the middle or lower class. If the PAC advertisers had to pay 5 percent in tax, that might reduce the amount of advertising by 5 percent — which would be music to my ears.